


Impressions

by AnotherStory



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates, Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: "Let's give these two another fic since they're cute!", "This is my life now", 2k words later, I'm Nohrian Scum can you tell, M/M, crackships are never a game, do you think this is a game, so help me Naga I will fill this ship tag
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-02
Updated: 2018-07-02
Packaged: 2019-06-01 10:01:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,647
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15140687
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnotherStory/pseuds/AnotherStory
Summary: Gaius has never cared much what other people thought of him before. But of course, "other people" had never been his lover's family.





	Impressions

**Author's Note:**

> In other words, I have no impulse control so have another round of me having fluff and romance on the brain. I am...a disaster.

“Do I look okay?” The question was foreign in Gaius's mouth, and it occurred to him how long it had been since he'd even bothered to wonder about such a thing, let alone voice such a concern. It had, in fact, been a long, long time. Not much need to care what you looked like when your goal most days was to not get your head taken off for thieving. He leaned in close to the mirror on the wall, scowling at a particularly stubborn cowlick that refused to lay flat.

A snicker. It took him a moment to place the sound. He cast a stern glance over his shoulder. “Hey. No laughing at me.”

Xander leaned all too casually against the doorway to his chambers, one hand pressed to his mouth as though to hide the mirth his eyes were glittering with. Today his lover wore his golden tresses back at the nape of his neck, tied with a thin black ribbon. The laces of his white silk shirt lay undone at his collarbone, showing a triangle of sinfully smooth, pale skin.Xander sighed good-naturedly. “I'm not intending to be mean, love. I promise you. It's just...rather cute to watch you primp like a peacock. Admittedly amusing, but mostly cute.”

Gaius turned back to the mirror with an embarrassed huff. He studied his face. Without a lollipop in his mouth to distract himself, he had resorted to sucking on his bottom lip, which left it rather red. Despite, or perhaps because of, the impossibly soft feather bed he'd slept in last night, there were shadows beneath his eyes. He looked a right mess, and he pouted at the knowledge.

“You look fine,” Xander supplied, stepping up behind him. Gaius could never quite get used to how tall Nohrians were, and the Crown Prince was above average. “Look at me, I'm in casual dress. Hardly got ready this morning.” Strong but gentle were his arms as they wrapped around his middle, just simply holding him for the sake of holding him.

Xander looked half a god come to earth, Gaius thought jealously. He relaxed into Xander's chest nonetheless, craning his head back to look the man in the face. “Not a fair comparison and you know it,” he mumbled.

His beau (such an odd word, _beau_. He'd never in a million years thought he'd have a reason to use it) kissed his forehead and let his lips linger. No one else got to see Xander quite this affectionate, and he felt a swell of pride that he was the only one receiving this treatment. It had taken them a while to reach this point, after all, for reasons the prince couldn't seem to make himself explain, and Gaius never tried to pry. They all had secrets. Xander released a contented sigh over his skin.

“If only everyone knew what a sweetheart you really can be,” Gaius teased softly.

Xander gave him a quick squeeze in retaliation. It earned him a yelp. “I think you're taking this too seriously. This isn't some huge gala,” he pointed out. “It’s just teas and snacks. You’ve already met my family.”

“On the battlefield or around a war camp. For short periods of time. Never…” He threw his hands up, attempting but fully incapable of putting his worries into words. It seemed foolish, how anxious he was at the prospect of what to anyone else would be a simple function.

“It's never been like this,” Gaius finished, voice dropping to a whisper. “Having tea and chatting wasn't something I do. Especially not with royalty. You and me…”

Xander arched an eyebrow. “Yes?” he prompted when Gaius remained unwilling to talk.

Gaius pressed one hand to the opposite forearm with perhaps a little more force than necessary. Years old, the mark beneath his sleeves still ached with a phantom burn. “I don’t want them to see me in this setting and wonder what is Naga’s name you were thinking, Xander. They might think I'm just some flight of fancy; the prince's taste of rough ‘n tumble. I mean, look at me.”

“Have been for a while,” Xander murmured, “and all I can see is the handsome man I fell in love with.”

A snort escaped the thief before he can hold it back. The praise may not have rid Gaius of his anxieties, but it certainly brought colour to his face. “Gods above, you're a charmer.”

Xander kissed him, quick and feather-light, and Gaius whined at the loss of contact. “You're worrying too much.”

“Says the guy with the permanent crease between his eyebrows.” The prince sighed, but made no effort to deny it. Gaius assumed that meant he'd won.

He ran a hand through his hair again, watching his reflection mimic the action with just as much success. That is to say, none. He was tempted to ask Xander if he'd be willing to fake sick with him. Spending the day cuddling beneath downy blankets in Xander’s bed sounded a lot better than floundering helplessly in front of his lover's family. Gaius cast a longing glance toward the plush bed.

“No,” Xander stated.

He pouted. “Please?”

“No, Gaius. You look fine, alright? Everything will be fine. They're all looking forward to meeting you.” If he hadn't known any better, he would have taken the tone of Xander's voice to be pleading.

Very gently, he laid his hands on top of the prince's own and swallowed the last of his remaining fears. “Alright,” he sighed, “let's go. Before I change my mind.”

He can already tell Xander is smiling, even without the help of the mirror. Over the course of their relationship, Gaius had become so familiar with every part of Xander that it took only the slightest shift in his posture for Gaius to read him like a book. The prince released him (with a hint of reluctance, Gaius mused) and instead took his hand and gently laced their fingers together. Holding hands with Xander had been a bit of an ordeal at first, but now it came as easily as breathing to his beau.

“Why do you alway do that?” the thief chuckled. “Have our fingers tangled like that?”

“So I cannot lose you,” Xander responded, lifting his arm and placing warm lips against his wrist, right over his pulse. Gaius can't shake the feeling that there is a deeper meaning behind the answer, but the heat on his face is effective in making him unable to pursue the topic.

Xander held his hand without hesitation as they traversed the castle halls. They looked different now, when it wasn't close to midnight and Xander had practically had to carry him to bed. They passed servants who greeted Xander with low, polite bows, while they met Gaius with baffled expressions or the occasional distrustful glare. It didn’t bother Gaius all that much. He was used to much worse reactions.

“This seemed a lot shorter of a trip last night,” Gaius commented, eyes darting to find anything he recognized, and admittedly admiring all the shiny decorative trinkets laid out on tiny tables. In any other situation he would be stuffing those sorts of goodies into his pockets. Why did nobles do that, he wondered, just to show off? Made them easy to rob blind, at least.

Xander squeezed his hand. “You were nearly comatose last night. How would you even be able to tell?”

“Not my fault somebody decided to push the last leg of the trip when the sun was already going down,” he shot back playfully.

They fell into a comfortable lapse of silence for a few short minutes, the only sound the rhythmic tapping of their boots on stone. Xander slowed to a stop in front of two huge oaken doors flanked by guards in heavy armour. He made a motion with his free hand- just a brief wave- and both guards moved in practiced unison to haul the door open for them.

The thief cast a glance at his lover, and released a breath he hadn't known he was holding when Xander gave a nod to each guard in turn. It was a small show of gratitude, sure, but Xander at least acknowledged service. His breath caught as Xander turned his head and caught him staring.

“They're waiting for us in the garden,” he announced, smiling ever so softly, and it was that damn smile that made Gaius melt every time. “Are you ready?”

“Yes,” he heard himself answer. _No_ , his brain screamed. _You aren't ready because you're nothing but an upjumped thief who was lucky enough to land in a prince's bed. Don't flatter yourself._

“Gaius?” prompted Xander softly, and the corner of his eyes are crinkled with concern.

He shook his head dismissively. “I'm fine. Let's go.”

He allowed the prince to guide him through the doorway into a grassy courtyard. It’s shockingly colorful, filled to the brim with creeping green ivy upon the stone walls and neatly trimmed bushes blooming with what he recognized as sweetbriar, beds of tulips and daffodils. It was gorgeous, even he had to admit, but he suspected some form of magic at play for such growth to exist in Nohr. Xander had told him flowers were naturally sparse in his homeland.

Yet there is something that is decidedly not the aroma of flowers on the air. Gaius sniffed experimentally, throwing his beau and wide-eyed stare. “Is that...chocolate? And strawberries?”

Xander’s cheeks pinked slightly. He gave a chuckle. “I may have let it slip that you have a sweet tooth,” he confessed, though he didn't seem all that ashamed, “and my sisters may have taken that to heart.”

“Wait. They made sweets?”

“Well, yes, they-.”

Gaius was already ahead of him, tugging insistently on his hand. “Come on, come on, come on!”

He doesn't hear Xander laugh because he's already spotted his destination, a small white gazebo in the shade of a massive willow tree. More specifically, he saw the table they have sent up, and the feast on top of it. He spotted a massive strawberry shortcake, plates of brownies, cookies, and at least three different types of pie. Gods above, was he drooling? He hoped he wasn't drooling.

“Oh, he's here!” someone called, and Gaius is startled out of his sugary fantasies to see a tall, curvy woman rise from the table and spread her arms out as though she expected a hug. She was beautiful, with flowing purple hair and proportions that he'd known brigands who would kill to put their hands on. Her eyes, while sultry, are amazingly warm. His assumption of her intentions was correct apparently, as she rounded the table and descended the steps just to throw her arms around him. “Oh, darling, it's so wonderful to finally meet you!”

From her hug alone he can tell she's far stronger than him. He makes a mental note to stay on her good side at all times. He isn't sure how to respond to her enthusiasm, so he settles on a muffled “thank you” from where he was buried in her shoulder. He also sends thanks to the gods that he wasn't any shorter. That might have been incredibly awkward. She released him after a few moments only to take his face in her hands and coo over how cute he was. Gaius blushed.

“Camilla!” Xander chided. “Don't overwhelm him. I know you're excited but...please.”

Camilla pouted and folded her arms across her ample chest. “Fine, dear brother.” She took Gaius's arm anyway. “Come sit down, then. Both of you.”

His tongue is so impossibly tied up in utter confusion that all he can manage to do is give Xander a pleading look for a rescue. His lover simply sighed helplessly as Gaius is dragged and sat down in an otherwise unoccupied chair. After a beat, Xander takes the identical seat beside him and grabs his hand beneath the table apologetically.

“Could've warned me that I'd be kidnapped,” Gaius whispered. Both of them know he's eyeing up the baked goods.

“And he could have warned us about the company we were to be expecting,” the young man across from them retorted.

Camilla whirled. “Leo,” she snapped, pouting in a way that seemed considerably more threatening when combined with the way her biceps flexed beneath the maroon sleeves of her dress, “be nice. Gaius has come a long way to finally properly meet us, and he does not need your sour attitude, no matter how adorable you look with your cravat all scrunched up.”

“Wha-!” Leo turned a iridescent shade of red as he scrambled to fix his clothing. “Why didn't you tell me?”

Gaius didn't dare chuckle. He shifted nervously and tightened his grip on Xander's hand. “It's, uh, nice to meet you all, um…” He wasn't sure what to call them collectively. Was it possible to pluralize the term “Highness”?

“Oh, the poor dear looks frightened!” Camilla cooed sympathetically as she slid into her seat. “Don't worry, we won't hurt you. I am the Princess Camilla, as you may have heard. The sourpuss is Leo, but he’s got more bark than bite, I assure you. And to your left you'll find our darling baby sister, Elise.” She put a hand to her cheek and sighed. “My dearest sibling Corrin is in Hoshido, visiting family, but they love people. I'm sure you'll get to meet them another time.”

“Large family,” Gaius jested, but his smile came out wobbly.

“Indeed,” Xander responded in kind. His voice, deep and solid, gave him a wave of reassurance.

There is a tap on his shoulder, and he turns to see- _woah, that's a lot of hair_. Elise's enormous tails of hair frame an adorable face with big bright eyes. Her cheeks were puffed out into what he assumed was meant to be a stern expression, but it's hard to take seriously. He heard Camilla stifle a giggle behind her hand. “What are your intentions toward my brother?” Elise demanded, jabbing a finger into his chest.

Gaius’s eyes flick across the table before he turned back to Xander. His beau smiled down not at him, but at his little sister, and it melted Gaius to see the love unhidden in his eyes. He swallowed hard and trained his gaze back to the youngest princess. “I love him,” he answered with all the bravery he can muster. Behind him Xander's breath caught in his throat. Gaius smiled.

Elise broke into a grin, flopping back down into her chair as if she'd solved some great mystery. She reached and stuffed a brownie into her mouth without reservation. Then through her mouthful she mumbled, “I like him.”

Camilla nodded. “It's so nice that our Xander finally found love. Don't talk with food in your mouth, dear. And pour him a cup of tea, will you?” She stood again to cut a rather large slice of strawberry shortcake and pass it to him on a saucer. Her head bobbed in Xander’s direction. “A little birdie told me you had a taste for sugar.”

“Yes, ma’am,” agreed the thief readily. Two out of three. His heart skipped a beat as he turned his sights on the younger prince. It skipped another when he saw Leo staring back.

He looked Gaius up and down, made a noise in the back of his throat that he couldn't identify as either dismissive or accepting. “Good luck,” was all Gaius received, but he caught a twitch to the prince's lips and grinned.

Xander leaned over and kissed his cheek with surprising brazenness. His lips lingered by his ear. “Not as bad as you thought, hmm?”

Gaius shook his head. Xander smirked and straightened, bringing his cup of tea to his lips.

“So when are you getting married?” Elise asked innocently.

Gaius bit back a laugh as Xander choked.


End file.
